Cornerstone and Guest Artists at 2018 Institute

this list is in-progress. a few more people will be added and maybe more bios for some whose stories aren't included here.  *most recent updates: 6/28/18.

Check back again later...  

Cornerstone people who will be in residence (or otherwise be present) in Queens this summer--
Nephelie Andonyadis, Costume Designer & Community Engagement Associate.

Michael Garcia, Company Manager. 

Geoff Korf, Lighting Designer.

Cameron Squire, Associate Producer.

Juliette Carrillo, Director, is a nationally recognized theatre director, writer, and award-winning filmmaker from Los Angeles, CA. She is a graduate of the Yale School of Drama. As a Cornerstone ensemble member, Juliette has directed community collaborations including Los Faustinos by Bernardo Solano, As Vishnu Dreams by Shishir Kurup, Touch the Water by Julie Hébert, Lethe by Octavio Solis and It's All Bueno by Sigrid Gilmer and Bliss Point by Shishir Kurup.  She wrote Plumas Negras for the 10^th Cornerstone Institute with the East Salinas, CA community and Ghost Town for the Venice, CA community. She is very happy to be collaborating once again with Cusi Cram and is thrilled to be learning about a community she has lived next to, but knows little about.

Sage Clemenco, Associate Institute Director, is Cornerstone Theater's Manager of Community Partnerships, supporting playwrights and collaborating communities as they get to know each other and work together to create new plays. This is Sage's eighth Summer Residency and she is excited to be returning to New York City, where she lived before moving to Los Angeles in 2013. She will be in residence with her wife Julia Taylor (2009 Institute alumni) and their daughter Mira.  

Paula Donnelly, Institute Director, was a union stage manager before she joined Cornerstone’s staff.  I plan and produce the Intensives and Summer Residencies; I’ve been in residence at all of the previous Institutes. As Director of Engagement, my broader focus includes strengthening our relationships, engagement practices, and efforts in contributing to expansion of the field of community-based theater. While I feel most at home on the west coast, I’m very excited about being a temporary resident of Queens.

Michael John Garcés, Artistic Director, has been an ensemble member since 2006.  He's directed two summer residency projects for the Cornerstone Institute, attraction by Page Leong in downtown Los Angeles and Plumas Negras by Juliette Carrillo in Salinas.  He also directed Alison Carey's California: The Tempest, which was created in collaboration with community members from the first ten communities of the Institute, from Holtville on the border with Mexico to Eureka in Humboldt County.  Michael lived in Queens for many years and is excited that Cornerstone will be in residence there.  

Peter Howard, Cornerstone Actor.  Peter is a founding member of Cornerstone Theater Company. He graduated from Harvard College with a degree in English and American Literature and holds an M.F.A. from the Department of Drama of the University of Virginia. With Cornerstone, Peter has performed in, written or otherwise collaborated on scores of productions in Los Angeles and around the country. As a playwright, his Cornerstone credits include Zones (an interactive play exploring interfaith themes), an American Muslim adaptation of You Can't Take It with You (the first adaptation ever approved by the Kaufman and Hart estate), a bilingual adaptation of Lorca's Blood Wedding (Boda de Luna Nueva: New Moon Wedding), and Lunch Lady Courage, inspired by Brecht and set in the world of public high school food service.  His regional theater work includes productions at the Mark Taper Forum, South Coast Repertory, Woolly Mammoth, American Repertory Theatre, Yale Repertory Theatre, Long Wharf, and the Guthrie.  Peter has served on staff of the National Conference for Community and Justice, and works as a facilitator, playwright and director in a variety of youth arts programs that use theater as a springboard for dialogue on challenging human relations topics.

Lynn Jeffries, Puppets Designer. Hi all!  I'm a founding member of Cornerstone Theater Company, and I will be designing puppets for this Institute production. In my Cornerstone career, I have designed sets, costumes and puppets for over 60 shows.  These days, it's mostly puppets.  Outside the company, I work as a freelance puppet designer at Oregon Shakespeare Festival, South Coast Repertory, and other places.  I also create satirical puppet spectacles with my artistic partner, Paul Zaloom.   In my free time, I'm an avid birdwatcher, and I'm trying very hard to learn Spanish

Page Leong, Cornerstone Actor, Hey ~ I’m Page, originally from San Francisco. Migrated to Los Angeles to get degrees in dance. Started talking and ended up in theater. Been a Cornerstone ensemble member 25 years now, mostly performing, also writing, directing and choreographing. Time flies! I have a 15 year old daughter, Tala, who will be at the Institute for most of the time as well. Looking forward to creating and sweating with you all in Queens!

Amanda Novoa, Stage Manager. Amanda was introduced to Cornerstone Theater Company during graduate school at UC Irvine. Her passion for community-engaged theatre led her to work with Cornerstone. Her first production with the company was Urban Rez - an experience she will never forget. Since then, she has joined the Ensemble and worked with Cornerstone on Ghost Town, fellowship, The Magic Fruit, and What Happens Next. Amanda believes that theatre is a powerful art form with the capacity to change our communities and our world and she is excited to be on this journey with the Cornerstone family.

Imogen Wanlass, Puppets Intern. Hi, I am a upcoming sophomore at Polytechnic High School in Pasadena, CA. I lived in New York for the first ten years of my life before moving to California but never really got around to Queens much. At school, I enjoy studying english and math as well as the arts programs provided. On my own, some of my favorite things to do are write and illustrate; however, I prefer to tell a story with my art and paint a picture with my words. As for my work in theater, I have been associated with it my whole life and aspire to bring my knowledge of storytelling to any and all productions that I participate in. 

Megan Wanlass, Managing Director. joined Cornerstone as Managing Director in January 2014. Prior to moving to Los Angeles, Ms. Wanlass was the Executive Director of SITI Company. In her nineteen-year tenure with SITI, Megan helped to create over 35 productions touring to 88 cities, 32 states and 19 countries. She began working with Anne Bogart and SITI Company during The Adding Machine at Actors Theatre of Louisville during the Modern Masters Festival. She has an Arts Administration Certificate from New York University, attended the Executive Program for Non-Profit Leaders at Stanford University Business School, was a member of the Arts Leadership Institute Charter Class at Teachers College, Columbia University, participated in the National Arts Strategies Executive Leadership Program, and holds a B.A. in Theater from Occidental College in Los Angeles. Megan has served on the board of Theatre Communications Group (TCG) and as the PTA President for the Pearls Hawthorne School in Yonkers, NY. Megan currently serves on the board of the Kathryn Caine Wanlass Foundation.

New York Artists & theater-makers who will mostly commute to spend the summer with us--- 

Jimmy Amor, Technical Director.

Meghan E. Healey, Scenic Designer. 

Nelly Reyes, Properties.
Megan Rutherford, Costume Design Assistant.
Kyle Soble, Lighting Design Assistant.
Edisa Weeks, Choreographer.

Ralph Carhart, Production Manager, is a professional production manager and baseball historian. He has worked at Queens College for 11 years and shepherded over 60 productions in that time. For four years he served as the artistic director of the Queens College Summer Performing Arts Festival. His baseball-themed photo essay entitled, “The Hall Ball Project,” has been featured in the New York Times and on the CBS Evening News. www.thehallball.com 

Cusi Cram, Playwright. is a playwright, screenwriter, educator and an advocate for women in the arts. Her plays have been produced by: Primary Stages, LAByrinth Theater Company, The Denver Center, Princeton’s Lewis Center for the Arts, The Echo Theater, The Williamstown Theater Festival, South Coast Repertory, The Atlantic Theater, New Georges, and on stages large and small all over this fine country. She is a 2018 recipient of a NYSCA commission in collaboration with Rattlestick Theater for her play, Novenas for a Lost Hospital, which looks at the closing of St. Vincent’s Hospital in NY’s West Village. She's also written many teleplays for both kids and adults. She received three Emmy nominations for her work on children’s program, Arthur. Cusi recently directed her first film, Wild and Precious, through AFI's Directing Workshop for Women where it won awards and played at over twenty festivals nationwide. She has taught at Fordham, Columbia University, and Primary Stages Einhorn School of the Performing Arts, where she was recently honored for her dedication to the school and its students. She is an Assistant Arts Professor at NYU’s Tisch School of the Arts. Cusi is a graduate of Brown University and the Lila Acheson American Playwright’s Program at Juilliard.

Winsome Jacobs, Costume Intern. Hi everybody, I’m Winsome! I’m from Staten Island’s north shore, and am preparing to go to SUNY Purchase for Theater Design (costume) this fall. I was introduced to Cornerstone through Nephelie Andonyadis. At seventeen, I assume that I’ll be the youngest of the staff, but I look forward to working with all of you!

Heather Lindemann, Scenic Design Assistant.  Hello, my name is Heather Lindemann. I am a student at Queens College and I enjoy doing work backstage for shows. The aspect I enjoy the most about backstage work is building sets. I have helped build the past few years shows here at queens college and I am excited to be working with Cornerstone this summer.